the truth comes out
by Soap Lover Lucie
Summary: michelle finds out about carla and peter and visits her friend to make sure she is ok
1. Chapter 1

**The truth comes out. . . **

Everything was a blur. Carla sat there on the sofa with her legs pulled up tightly to her chest. Tears streamed down her face, smudging what had been perfectly done make-up. "Why?" she thought to herself "why?"

She was quiet; everywhere was quiet, with just a faint sound of Florence + the machine playing in the background. She swayed back and forth slowly drifting into a trance.

'BANG, BANG, BANG!' 'CARLA IT'S ME!' Michelle screamed through the letter box hoping Carla hadn't done anything stupid. After a long delay and a moment of no response, Michelle started to become impatient but eventually Carla hauled herself off the sofa leaving a trail of tissues as she dithered over to the door.

Before Carla even had a chance to draw breathe Michelle had burst through the door and instantly started clearing away many of the empty wine bottles that were perched on the coffee table. Once Michelle had finished faffing around and Carla had returned from a state of shock they both sat down on the sofa, and Michelle got Carla to open up.

"Why are you talking to me?" she whimpered. All the time Carla had been left alone she had been convincing herself that she was cursed and she hurt anybody that came near her. "Look. I put up with you any other time don't I?" Michelle couldn't hold a grudge against her bestie no matter how hard she tried. As they sat there and Carla snuggled up to her bestie, the person who had never deserted her, she finally started to open up about her feelings and thoughts.

"Everyone hates me. I ruin everything. What have I done 'chelle?" Carla hated herself. Everything that had happened with frank and the trial, Leanne and the baby, yet she had still only thought of herself. She said "I have ruined peer's life, my life, even yours Michelle." But Michelle stopped her in her path. "Remember peter was the one that chose to be with you. He could have said no" and deep down Carla knew her bestie was right.

"But this has jeopardised the whole trial." She knew she had lost. Frank would be walking away scratch free. Not even with so much as a paper cut. There was no way she would gain justice, not now this was out in the open.

"I'm surprised you don't hate me as well!" she said with such shame in her voice. Everything was so confusing, like a jigsaw only she couldn't put the pieces together.

Michelle sighed. Everything is bound to be confusing. You have been to hell and back but I wish you would have spoken out. To me this is just your 'cry for help' . . .


	2. Chapter 2

**The Day Of The Verdict**

The day had finally come. Carla was anywhere but on planet earth. As she drew back the curtains to reveal a day with weather that portrayed her exact mood. She trembled with fear as Michelle gently touched her on the shoulders, startling her out of her skin. She didn't have time to say anything before the doorbell rang. It was peter. "I'll meet you in the car!" Michelle spoke softly and left the flat.

"come here baby." Peter spoke, holding out his arms, just waiting to grab Carla. She leaped towards him knocking him slightly off balance but he loved having her in his arms.

"hey, hey! It's gonna be alright" he said softly as he ran his fingers gently through her soft, silky hair. To him she was perfection. There was nobody in the universe that compared to her.

Peter was her knight in shining armour and she never felt as safe as she did when she was in his arms. He hated seeing her like this and wanted this day to be over as much as she did. He rested his hands on her face and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "don't cry Carla. You have nothing to worry about and you definitely have nothing to be ashamed of." They both adored each other and even though many people had said those exact words to her it had never meant as much as when he had said them.

She glanced into his eyes trying to hold back the floods of tears that were building up. She wanted to show him there was still hope but deep down they both knew there wasn't much chance of the result they wanted.

Carla grasped peter's hands and sensed he was scared. "oh babe, what have I done? You don't deserve to have to put up with this, or me. It's not fair!" "look at me, I have said this before and I shall say it again. There is nobody else on this planet I want to be with and I know your innocent and that's all that matters."

He leant over and let his mouth touch her soft lips, trying to show her how much he cared for her and he wanted her to know for certain how much she meant to him. . .


	3. Chapter 3

Guilty but not guilty

'Feisty, fearless, fun!' Michelle mumbled

"You sure we left with the right girl?" she asked peter, concerned.

They both stood outside Carla's flat. Waiting for her to unbolt the door. Peter and Michelle hadn't seen Carla since frank had been found 'not guilty' the other day. At first they thought she just wanted some space but now they were worried. Really worried. . .

Meanwhile, Carla sat there, froze to the floor. With no intention of opening door. She physically drifted in and out of a trance but mentally she drowned in thoughts. 'I must have dreamt it!' 'It was so real, how could they not tell?'

Within less than a day Carla had become a different woman. She had become petrified of what people would think of her, especially with Frank out there poisoning their minds. She was also shutting out the two people that cared for her the most, the two people that could help.

Outside Michelle was becoming impatient, constantly tapping her foot. Peter tried his best to calm her down and reassure her that Carla wouldn't do anything stupid but she didn't believe him.

Then the penny dropped. She still had Carla's bag.

"Of course!" she spoke, going rather high pitched!

"Carla always leaves a spare pair of keys in this bag!"

Shaking she tried to unlock the door but had to let peter take over because she was terrified Carla had done something stupid.

After what seemed like a lifetime the door finally flung open and they dashed in to find Carla curled up in a ball in the corner of the room.


End file.
